Study Finds Most Parents View Public Schools Favorably

Parents across the nation generally view their schools favorably, according to a survey released recently by the Educational Testing Service. It said that in more than three-fourths of the cities surveyed, fewer than 10% of households indicated they wanted to move because of poor school quality.

Some observers say the report suggests there is a market--albeit small--for vouchers that give parents public funds to send their children to private schools.

The Educational Testing Service, a testing and research organization based in Princeton, N.J., analyzed 1990-96 census data from 55 of the nation’s largest cities.

In those cities least satisfied with public education, children were more likely to attend private schools. In all 55 cities, many of the dissatisfied families already had opted out of public schools. Among the dissatisfied households with children ages 5-13, between 13.6% and 63.7% currently enroll their children in private schools, depending on the city.

But 10% of families satisfied with the public schools still send their children to private schools.